Yukoners mourn Carcross mountain biking 'pioneer'

The Yukon mountain biking community is mourning one the loss of one of its own. Carcross resident Wayne Roberts died this pastweekend of cancer.

"He was a real pioneer in the bike and hiking tourism market in Yukon," said friend Derek Crowe.

"In actual fact, he was probably 10 years ahead of his time with his ideas."

Crowe says Roberts had a vision for mountain biking in the Carcross areathat helped lead to other efforts such as Carcross Tagish First Nation's Single Track to Success trail building program.

"He was always greeting visitors near his home in Carcross and many people have stories of him showing them around the mountain he loved so much the one behind his house, Montana Mountain."

Over the years Roberts both guided and built trail, including work to clear a historic trail used to build the Mountain Hero tram way, now called the Sam McGee trail, said Crowe.

"It's really that one trail that is Wayne's legacy. He got this idea in his head that this trail was worth preserving, against the odds. He went and cleared that trail out. That trail as a recreational resource is priceless."